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Well, I must say that the study tour was a great success. I absolutely fell in elsker, love, with Denmark on this trip. Get ready...this is a long blog post, but our adventures were outstanding, and I was certain to include lots of pictures to keep it from being boring! Check it all out :)

Our first stop was to Marjatta, an institution/community/society for children and adults with disabilities, located in Tappernøje. This school is based on Steiner methodology, which insists that learning is not a static activity. Learning at this school is based on nurturing and learning through the heart, body, and mind. Children here are taught music, art, and basic subjects...and all teachers are required to work with these areas, too. They are taught that no one is perfect at any of these things, so they must all practice to do the best that they can. The methodology is really interesting, and the school was absolutely beautiful. We felt like we were in a bit of a wonderland!

The teachers' room

One of the classrooms

Look at the care and thought that went into teaching this class!

Some of the children's artwork in one of the classrooms

The music room.

A mural of Marjatta. The school was named for Marjatta, a finnish goddess, whose son from a virgin birth was born with a disability. In the story, she buried her son and then dug him up from the earth as a "rebirth". The school's philosophy is that the parents must grieve because their child is not who they thought he or she would be, but that the Marjatta school provides a place for rebirth, which will enrich the child's life. 

Most of the children enrolled in the Marjatta school live in the school's facilities. This is the kitchen in one of the living quarters for the children at Odense. Not too shabby, huh?

Everything there was absolutely magical! There were lots of colorful toys, ready for the children to use!

Yep, we were in Denmark!

Leaving Marjatta. What a beautiful piece of the world!

After leaving Marjatta, we headed straight for Odense. The first stop was to our Hostel, which we settled into Wednesday evening before going to dinner with our class. We were quite happily surprised by how nice this hostel was! The bathrooms were even nicer than ours at the apartment. We really couldn't complain--especially because breakfast featured Warm, freshly baked bread, lots of cheese, jams, and fresh veggies, and a cappuccino machine. These are all staples to the Danish breakfast. YUM!

Lovely Kayla lounging in our Hostel Room--Since we had a group of 5 (the 4 Meredith girls and Sarah, our friend from Whittier, CA), we had one of the largest rooms in the Hostel. 

We began Thursday morning with the amazing breakfast and then really with visits to schools for children with special needs. I didn't know when I signed up that my school was a center for children with autism! This school actually based its approach off of the TEACCH methodology, which was developed at UNC Chapel Hill. It was cool to see some of the work they did with the kids...and another location that used PECS/boardmaker!

 

The children each had their own desks (some had their own separate rooms) which were set up to best suit their learning needs. This child is easily distracted, so his desk faces the wall. 

 The PECS weekly schedule

Our next visit was to the Odense Kulturhus, which is a club/community center for youth and adults with disabilities. It provides opportunities, which would probably not be offered otherwise, for adults with disabilities to establish careers. Some are musicians, others are artists, and others do weaving and fabric work. It's pretty outstanding what these people can do. 

Inside the music studio

The art studio. Check out all these supplies!!!

We got to see one of the artists at work!

The textiles/weaving studio

 Some of the fabric pieces that were for sale. There happened to be a set of placemats that were some of my favorite colors. I'm excited to use them in my new apartment!

Our next, and probably most amazing part, of the study tour was our experience at Fyrtøjet, also known as The Tinderbox, which is a children's cultural center. The Tinderbox, which is named for one of Hans Christian Andersen's most beloved fairytales, is an interactive center where children are invited to live the fairytales of Hans Christian Andersen. Well, since we are studying child development as well as the importance of play in danish schools and culture, we had the opportunity to dress up and play, too! 

part of the set in the theatre

playing dress up and getting my face painted

Kayla, my roomie in denmark, and me showing off our beloved (not costume) Meredith College jewels!

 our crew in for a group pic!

 after dressing up, we did some artwork!

 my AMAZING finished product...

Since Odense is so proud to be the home of Hans Christian Andersen, they of course have a museum to honor him. We got the chance to check it out after our fun time playing at The Tinderbox...it may have been a bit of a let-down after our super fun time playing dress-up, but we still got to learn a bit.

some ugly ducklings in the HCA museum

We concluded the night with some fun times at a local bar. We were clearly a hit there, because some of the bar regulars were chanting "U-S-A, U-S-A" and saluting us! 

The locals are very proud of their odense beer...as they should be!

Friday included more fun & cultural experiences, including a stop at Egeskov Castle in Kværndrup, Denmark. This castle is the home of Count Michael, his wife, and his young son. The castle has been in the family for 9 generations! It is absolutely stunning, as you can see here. 

The castle is surrounded by a moat and has a drawbridge that connects it to the beautiful castle grounds and oak forests. How very castle-y, huh?

 A quick peek from inside the castle

 The castle had an amazing outdoor area on the grounds, which included a treetop walking experience. We climbed up the rickety metal stairs, then walked on the rope bridges among the trees!

 Meredith girls essentially walking the plank--I'm pictured here with Kayla & Allyson

We finished the trip with a boat ride before leaving the island of Fyn

All in all, this study tour was a great success, and it is certainly something I will not forget about my time in Denmark. I've absolutely elsket, loved, København, but it was great to get out of the city and to explore more of this amazing world!